Presentation by Dr. Gatti, Art History Professor
Christian Texts and Imagery:
Primary and Secondary source texts
Images of Christ (symbolic)
Eusebius Reading:
- Beginning of the 4th century
- Happened in 312 but what written about in 340’s
- Possible exaggeration
- Possible that facts were left out or changed
- Some things can be added that seemed unimportant
- Themes of the story:
- Follow God of his father (family)
- Wanted the soldier to do stuff
- God would be safeguard
- Emphasis on signs
- Details of the story:
- Battle
- Vision- dream
- XP (chi rho)
- Monogram of Christ
- Spear- gold form of cross (status)
- Precious stones (status)
- Portrait of the pious emperor and his family on the banner on the cross (family)
The Apocryphon of John:
- Jesus has just died
- Jesus gives John secret teachings about the Divine
- Arimanius accuses Jesus of being a liar, not a teacher
How does John react:
- Goes to the desert
- Heavens open
- Christ appears as a youth/ old man/ and servant, all in one
- Not absent, “physical” subject or material
- Tells John he knows him (Status)
- Father
- Son
- Mother
- Family roles
- Undefiled
- To teach
Gnostic “texts”
- Secret teachings
One reading is very narrative whereas the other is visual but abstract
- Both image oriented
Roman Emperor:
- Father of the family
- Father of all of Roman empire
- Tradition to follow the father
- Constantine follows in Christianity
- Makes practicing Christianity allowed
Family in the first text is to represent authority
Family in the second text is to represent relationships
Status is all about material in the first story and about the people
Postcards:
- Christ as an infant
- Christ as human
- Gold or higher status
- Jesus’ crucifiction
- Less realistic style
- Represent worship of Christ
- Show change from Jesus to Christ
- Some are more materialistic while others are more humble
- Post cards show different events in different lights
- Some are happy, others are sad
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